The need for thorough sterilization of surgical implements and supplies is of course well known and painstaking and expensive steps are often taken to ensure the highest levels of sterility for medical supplies and equipment.
By way of example of a well developed field of prior art is a series of patents to Glick, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,728,839, 3,815,315 and 4,135,622 which relate to the particular problems encountered in sterilizing absorbable sutures without degrading them, and especially in sterilizing sutures and other medical devices made of polyglycolic acid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,528 to Armstrong discloses a liquid-phase process for sterilization of surgical or medical instruments using ozonized oxygen. The liquid phase (typically aqueous) is pretreated under pressure with turbulence, to achieve maximum uniformity of oxygen-ozone concentration throughout the fluid. Such a liquid phase sterilization process is not appropriate for small medical devices, including absorbable sutures, staples and the like, which can be sensitive to moisture, and are subject to decomposition or degradation.
As reported by Armstrong, ozone is contraindicated as a gas-phase sterilant for medical equipment and supplies because of the difficulty in controlling the concentration and the consistent effectiveness of ozone. (Col. 1 lines 67-69.)